Benedict Cumberbatch meditates over his favourite cocktails at his London Film Festival afterparty

Actor Benedict Cumberbatch ended his London Film Festival appearance in style this year, with a Friday-night afterparty at 100 Wardour Street’s luxurious side bar The Den. Celebrating his new film Walk With Me – a meditative documentary about Zen Buddist monk Thich Nhat Hanh, who is credited with introducing mindfulness to the West – the Doctor Strange star played host to guests at the intimate venue.

Cumberbatch toasted directors Max Pugh and Marc J Francis at the event, mingling with guests including Henry Conway, Cressida Pollock, composer Michael Nyman and photographer Isabella De Maddalena after a screening of the film, attended by celebrity guests and monks from the secluded Plum monastery in France.

Director Pugh, whose brother was ordained as a Buddhist monk 10 years ago, said of the project: “The experience of being on the road with the monastics changed my life in many ways. The practice of deep listening, sharing and living alongside the monastics moved me to dig deeper and to work harder to find ways to best represent their way of being on film.”

The film features narration from Cumberbatch, who reads from Thich Nhat Hanh’s meditative journal, ‘Fragrant Palm Leaves’. “When Thich Nhat Hanh suffered a life-changing stroke soon after we finished filming, it became clear that there would never be a chance to make a film with Thich Nhat Hanh and his community in this way again,” continued Pugh. “We therefore felt a responsibility to accurately portray what we had experienced living with the monastics.”

At the indulgent after party, sponsored by Martin Miller’s Gin and Merchant’s Heart, guests discussed the mindful film over specially created cocktails and vegetarian canapes in the laid back Den. The new venue aims to combine modern Soho chic with a classic drinking den vibe, featuring simple cocktails, live music and a cigar lounge adding to the relaxed, stay-all-night feel.